Cream of Asparagus version 2.0
Synopsis: Today we made a new cream of asparagus soup, with a nice change of seasoning. Today’s soup is thickened with beurre manie, which is simply an uncooked roux. (The term beurre manie means “kneaded butter” in French.) It also has a helping of sauteed garlic, which adds some extra savor.
Recipe: Cream of Asparagus Soup
- Asparagus
- Celery
- Onions
- Shallots
- Bacon
- Chicken stock
- Heavy cream
- Butter
- Flour
- Garlic
- Salt
- White pepper
- Thyme
- Worcestershire sauce
Chop up all vegetables and bacon. Saute the bacon in the bottom of a large soup pot. When some of the grease comes out, add the vegetables and saute them as well. When the asparagus turns a deep green, add enough chicken stock to cover it completely, plus another inch or so. Let it simmer until the asparagus and vegetables are soft. Now puree the soup well with an immersion blender or regular blender, and strain it well to remove all the tough asparagus fibers. Return it to the heat along with a small pot of heavy cream. While the cream warms, you can make your beurre manie by kneading together equal amounts of butter and flour until it forms a dough. When the cream starts steaming, add it to the soup. Let the soup come to a simmer, and then drop pea-sized pieces of the beurre manie dough into it while whisking vigorously. Add enough to bring the soup to the desired consistency, something like a chowder. Sautee some minced garlic in butter to add to the soup. Season the soup to taste with salt, white pepper, thyme, a splash of Worcestershire, and the sauteed garlic. And if the beurre manie didn’t do it enough for you, you can add in some extra butter at this point. (Screw you, calorie counters). Bon Appetit!